This post picks up where my last post about "Mooch Marketing" left off. That post explained how Master Mooch Manipulators sell products and services at ridiculous prices to "mooches," the gullible who would love to believe that they, too, can be the Tiger Woods of Internet Marketing.
They show you "Tiger Woods" (i.e., THEIR own success story) and we'd all love to play golf like Tiger (speaking metaphorically), right? But they aren't teaching you how to swing like Tiger. The problem is that none of us has that type of talent. All they actually sell with that dream is a shiny-but-broken putter... for the "incredible act-now-before-the-price-goes-up/limited-seats-available" price of "only" $3,000.
How do they get away with it? Well, we would all really love to believe that we really could do that... if only we knew "the secret." And the willingness to buy into that dream causes us to pay crazy amounts for that broken putter. Result? Broken dreams.
But there's always the next time. Ah, "the next time" ...
People who have paid once for these false promises are extremely valued clients. Known as "mooches" by these relentless marketers, their names are traded on lists and cross-sold ruthlessly. Continuing with golf as the analogy, here's my best advice on how to maintain perspective and resist these dollar-sucking exercises in futility...
When I thought I was retired 10 years ago (before discovering the Internet!), I studied golf intensively. I would hit 500 balls per day, trying to perfect my swing. I dreamt of breaking par, of playing a pro-level round of golf.
I loved it.
But I was never able to swing and strike the ball the way a local touring pro (who played at our club) could. One day, this pro asked me to give him lessons. He knew that I knew the game and the swing, even if I couldn't play anywhere near to his level.
As I coached him, I'd watch him process the information and easily execute in a way that my brain and muscles could not. He was wired differently.
He went on to become the most improved player of the year and won a major local tournament. He graciously and publicly gave me credit for completely changing his game. Here's the story.
Now, with the publicity that I received locally, I could have sold "the secret" to hundreds, even thousands, of average players at outlandish prices. (Even his pro competitors asked him if his coach worked with other pros!)
If you are a golfer, you know that we are all part-insane and would pay anything to know "the secret" I supposedly gave to Jimmy. So why didn't I sell "the secret"?
Because we are all wired differently. Few people have the sheer talent, the neuromuscular coordination, to process the lessons and convert them into a higher level of play. If I sold "the secret," I'd be selling a fraud because the average player could simply not do it.
Of course, hundreds of companies sell all kinds of golf aids and gizmos. There are thousands of books on golf. And golf clubs keep getting more high-tech and expensive year after year. And yet...
The average player has not improved his or her score!
OK, let's bring this analogy back to the world of online business....
The best each one of us can do is hone our own passions, our own particular areas of expertise and knowledge. To maximize our edge, we should be focusing on our business, whether that's oral surgery in California or infopreneuring on whatever you do excel at.
You don't focus on the technology of the telephone to make a business call. And you should not fight technology or learn a wide variety of skills to build a highly trafficked site.
The slogan of sitesell.com is "e-commerce for the rest of us." We don't sell "secrets" in Site Build It! There are no secrets, except to focus on what you love, follow a proven process, and use tools that enable you to effectively overdeliver great content to your visitors.
There's a saying in golf... "Play within yourself." I'm proud to sell Site Build It! because it enables "average" (technically speaking) people to play within themselves and "raise their game" to pro level (it's for webmasters, too, but that's another story). As long as SBI! owners have the motivation to actually go out and "just do it," SBI! delivers the ability to achieve.
"Playing within yourself" means to know your limits. As an emergency physician (in an earlier life), one of the most important skills I learned was to know my limits. The lives of others depended on it.
In the business world, too, know (and accept) your own limits. What are your raw skills? Your passions? Your time limitations? Set reasonable goals within those parameters.
Too many people would love to believe that they can "play online business" at a Tiger Woods level with limited talent and no motivation, as long as they pay top dollar for... "the secret." It simply does not work that way.
But an entire industry is willing to promote that illusion and take your money. We adopt the tortoise as our mascot for a reason...
Reality. The reality is that anyone can succeed online. But it takes time, effort and persistence. The only secret is that you bring your lunch pail, full of Brain And Motivation ("BAM"), be willing to work to build a real business, and then simply get to it.
Those who can't do that? They'd be far happier ignoring all the online opportunities, work their 9-to-5s, turn the TV on or do a hobby after supper, and relax.
All the best,
Follow Ken at Twitter
Ken,
It was at the end of a long day when I read your post on "Play within yourself..." and near the end I thought you said, "...bring your lunch pail, full of Bran and Motivation." No wonder you called it "BAM"!
But seriously in less than a year and a half, my SBI site has gone from nothing to nearly 10,000 visitors a month. It's taking time, but it's fun to see my work paying off--and trying to envision where it'll be a year and a half from now. Thanks for such a real program.
Regards,
Jack Zavada
Streator, IL
Posted by: Jack Zavada | January 17, 2007 at 09:03 PM
Hi Ken,
That was a great post and oh so true. As a golfer muyself it's easy to realize that you have to look for what's possible within yourself and your own limits. That's how you take yourself to the next level. We are all (specially golfers)searching for "IT" whatever it maybe. The thing is "IT" is different for everyone, in golf and business. The key is to run with what you've been given and make it better than everyone else. Tiger Woods knows his strengths and plays off them better than anyone in the game has done before. Anyone can do it, you just have to believe.
Take Care
John Bolt
Posted by: John Bolt | January 26, 2007 at 10:19 AM